


Circus

by Chrystie, kate882



Series: Batdad and his Robins [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 07:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrystie/pseuds/Chrystie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: The circus is back in town and Dick is confronted with both good and bad memories.





	Circus

“Bruce! Bruce!” Dick launched himself into the living room, waving a flyer. “Can we go?” 

Bruce managed to catch a glimpse at the flyer in between waves to be able to distinguish what it was. “Haly’s?”

“Yeah. I miss seeing all of my old friends, so I was hoping we could go,” Dick said, smiling brightly at him.

Bruce was pretty sure he had something that probably needed his attention the day they would be in town and he was just about to tell Dick that, but the hopeful look is his eyes won out. “I suppose we can go. I don’t have anything important that day.”

“Yes!” Dick jumped up and then gave him a quick hug before running off shouting “Alfred, guess what me and Bruce are doing!”

Bruce didn’t bother hiding the smile that came from watching Dick.

* * *

Dick spent the entire car ride telling him about the different circus members. He’d heard some of the stories before, but a few of them were still new.

When they stepped out though Dick fell quiet, staring up at the big tent.

“Something wrong?” Bruce asked with a tick of his brow.

“I-“ and then he noticed Dick’s hands were shaking. “I don’t think I can do it,” he whispered.

“You don’t think you can go in?” Bruce had to assume this had something to do with the memory of being there. The tent was where his parents had died after all.

Dick shook his head. “I thought I could handle it, and I did want to see them but…” his whole body was shaking now as he stared at the tent. “I’m sorry I made you come out here. Can we just go home?” He asked quietly.

Bruce couldn’t say he didn’t understand because he did, but he also knew it was something Dick would eventually have to face. “We could but I was also hoping to talk to Haly. We spoke a lot during the adoption process.”

Dick finally tore his eyes away from the tent to look at Bruce. “You’re going to make me go, aren’t you?”

“I’m not going to make you, but I did feel better after I stopped being afraid of going to Crime Alley.”

“And how long did that take you?”

“A couple of years.” Unlike Dick though, there was nothing for him in Crime Alley, not a friend, not his old family, not even a blood stain as proof that his parents had once been there. “I’m sure they would like to see you though.”

Dick hesitated but finally reached out and grabbed Bruce’s hand. “I reserve the right to leave at any time.”

“Of course.” It was a slow walk there despite the two of them being right in front of the tent, but once someone from the circus caught sight of Dick he was all but swept away by everyone who once knew him.

Dick was hesitant to leave Bruce’s side at first, but eventually let them pull him off in every direction. Bruce watched a few of them talking to him about his parents and how they all missed them as well. He was worried Dick was going to try to leave again when his eyes started watering, but then the woman he’d been speaking to, a fire dancer Bruce was pretty sure, was hugging him and they were crying together. And when they finished he didn’t try to leave, instead he went further into the tent to help her fix her makeup that had gotten a little smudged.

Bruce just followed at a distant pace, letting everyone get their fill of Dick and Dick his fill of his old family. He hadn’t actually needed to talk to Haly and he was glad he didn’t have to pretend to to keep Dick there. Dick looked like he was doing fine.

Eventually the show had to start so Dick walked back over to him. “I’m ready to go, I think.”

“You don’t want to watch?” But Bruce was already letting him lead him out.

“No. I’m glad to have seen them, but I don’t need to see how they worked around not having my parents anymore.”

“And you,” Bruce stated matter of factly, “You were a third of what made the Flying Grayson’s great.”

Dick offered him a small smile. “And me,” he agreed.

Bruce put a comforting hand on his shoulder as they left the tent. “I believe the stands for fried carnival food are still open if you wanted to give Alfred a heart attack.”

“We could bring him back a fried s'more on a stick,” Dick said, smiling widening to something more like the smile he’d usually give Bruce.

“He won’t like it but he’ll still try it if you ask.” Bruce on the other hand was going to regard all the food Dick picked out with extreme skepticism.

“I don’t think he would, but I’m willing to test that theory, and get an extra dessert if he doesn’t eat it,” he said as he started pulling Bruce towards a corn dog stand.

And while Bruce would never be caught dead eating one of those, he was glad to see Dick’s natural excitement and energy return.


End file.
